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Task Writing and Introduction of Planning

 

This task will introduce to the process of writing mathematical tasks and beginning to write lesson plans using an indirect, problem solving approach

The objectives of this module are for you to:
1) Examine characteristics of mathematical tasks
2) Consider issues related to teaching from a task-based or problem solving approach
3) Begin writing a lesson plan using an indirect approach

 

Task 1- Task 2- Task 3 - Task 4

Task 1:
The Charlotte Soccer League has 10 teams. If every team plays every other team once during the season how many games will there be?

You can work with your classmates and exchange ideas about how to start the task here.

Task 2:
Overview: A lot of research has found that student learning on both problem solving tests and computation tests are related to the types of tasks or problems that students work on. In this course, we take the idea that is embraced by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics that a task is any math problem that students work on. As you read this article, we are focused on giving students opportunities to explore what the article talks about "tasks with a high cognitive demand."

Read the following articles on Course Reserves from the UNCC Library

Go here- http://library.uncc.edu/reserves
Log in with your UNCC username and password
Select course pages by instructor- green menu in middle of page
Choose Polly
Click on ELED 5301
password- 5301f11

You need to read:
Selecting and Creating Mathematical Tasks: From Research to Practice

Pay special attention to the types of mathematical tasks given as well as the 4 types of tasks at the back of the article.

Task 3:

Part 1:
Examine the lesson plan example using the Train Task.

Part 2:
On your Posterous Blog respond to the following 2 prompts- 3 sentences each.

1) Consider the 2 options...
Option 1- a worksheet that has 20 addition practice problems on it
Option 2- the lesson built around the train task

Based on what you learned in earlier courses, which option is most likely to lead to a deeper understanding of addition?

2) After doing the train task and examining the lesson plan example, what jumps out at you at the approach of planning a lesson around 1 or a few demanding tasks? What questions do you still have as we begin this process of writing lesson plans that are built around a demanding task?

Part 3:
Respond to 2 classmates Posterous blogs. They are listed here- http://eled5301f11.pbworks.com/w/page/44720843/FrontPage
You MUST respond to the person in front of you.
Your 2nd classmate can either be the person underneath you or someone else on the list.

*If links do not work or are broken, e-mail their UNCC e-mail address and carbon copy Dr. Polly.

 

Task 4: Task Writing Assignment- rubric and assignment is here.

You will go to the Common Core State Standards and download the Math Standards. From Grades K-6, choose 2 Standards. These are new Standards that are being taught in most districts K-2 this year, and will be taught K-12 next year. 

You will write 2 tasks for each Standard- one will be a Procedures with Mathematical Connections and one will be a Doing Mathematics task. Refer to the table at the end of the article to help you with this.

A quick rule of thumb:
Procedures w/ Math Connections tasks- students show their work in more than one way-- pictures, numbers/equations or words.

Doing Mathematics- multi-step problem that requires students to write or orally tell (In Grades K-1) how they found their answer.

Submit drafts of all 4 tasks via Moodle

 

 

Work due at the end of this module:
Task 1: Submit your solution via Moodle

Task 2: This work will be used in Task 3.

Task 3:  Posterous Blog

Task 4: Draft of task writing assignment via Moodle.